All 50 districts of Bangkok have been declared disaster zones as heavy rainfall and flooding disrupt daily life across Thailand’s capital.
Eastern parts of Bangkok are among the areas hardest hit, with flooding causing major traffic disruption and affecting residents across the city, according to the Bangkok Post.
The disaster declaration allows the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), government agencies and local authorities to respond more quickly and coordinate emergency measures across affected areas.
Residents have also received emergency alerts through a cell broadcast system, warning that water levels in canals — already at critical levels — could rise further.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department attributed the severe weather to a strong low-pressure system covering the lower Central Plains, Bangkok and surrounding provinces, combined with a strengthening southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea, southern Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand.
The department warned that heavy rainfall is expected across the country through Sunday, raising the possibility of further flooding.
Bangkok authorities said pumping stations were operating at full capacity. If there is no additional rainfall, the BMA estimates that existing floodwaters could recede within approximately six hours.
The worsening conditions have also prompted panic buying in some neighbourhoods, with residents stocking up on food and other essentials amid concerns that flooding could become more severe.